Bear attacks have been reported in Slovakia in recent days, including a Belarusian woman who died after being chased down by a brown bear in the remote mountain range of Low Tatras. The woman was with her male companion when the incident, which took place late last week, occurred but got separated when the bear attack started. A day after, a Slovakian brown bear also attacked the nearby town of Liptovsky Mikulas.
Bear Attacks Belarusian Woman
(Photo : Photo by Becca on Unsplash)
On March 15, a woman from Belarus died after being chased by a brown bear through the thick forest and steep terrain of the Low Tatras mountain range. The 31-year-old Belarusian woman was walking with her companion, a 29-year-old man also from Belarus.
In a statement by the country's Slovakian Mountain Rescue Service, the couple ran in different directions when the bear attack occurred during evening hours. During a search by rescuers, the woman's body was found below a deep ravine, where she reportedly fell while running from the bear.
In recent years, bear attacks have been on the rise across the country, according to data from the Slovakian Government. Located in Central Europe, Slovakia is a landlocked country bordered by Poland in the north, the Czech Republic in the northwest, Austria, in the southwest, Hungary in the south, and Ukraine in the east.
In this region, bears are common across the Carpathian Mountain range, which includes Slovakia.
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How Do You Escape a Bear Attack?
Among the many life-saving advises given by wildlife experts when encountering a bear, standing still and making one's self look bigger are some of them. One of the most famous tactics is stretching both arms sideways or above the head which can make a person appear larger from the eyes of the wild animal.
However, this advice seems to be easier said than done, especially when the panic or fear kicks in, as seen from previous bear attacks, with some being fatal.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), bluff charges and aggressive charges are the two types of bear encounters. A person's response to these charges could be a matter of life and death, says the NPS, which elaborated that all bear attacks or encounters are different. Below are some of the tips provided by the United States Government agency:
- Do not run during a bluff charge, a bear behavior which only aims to scare or intimidate
- Defend yourself during an aggressive charge, with warning signs such as yawning or clacking of teeth
- Fight back and do not play dead when a black bear attacks
- Play dead and do not fight back when a grizzly bear or brown bear attacks
The NPS emphasized the most important way to escape a bear attack is to slowly move away and be quiet. This is to convince either a grizzly or brown bear that you are not a threat to it or its cubs.
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